Know your 2016 Maui County election candidate: Miles Shiratori

Back in 2014, Miles Shiratori ran in the Democratic Primary to be state lieutenant governor (in fact, his website Milesshiratori.com hasn’t yet been updated since that race). He lost to Shan Tsutsui by about 118,000 votes. This year, he’s one of five Democrats in the U.S. Senate race (the incumbent, Democrat Brian Schatz) is running for reelection.

MAUITIME: What is your top priority if elected?

MILES SHIRATORI: I would introduce a bill for Term Limits and Campaign Finance Reform. This is the only way to fix Congress–Term Limits would arrest the decline of congressional legitimacy ensuring that members would be more truly representative of their communities and would renew the faith in the American People and can govern themselves. This is the best way to reinvigorate government and bring new people into the legislature with fresh outlooks, new ideas and better incentives. Term Limits is the only realistic way to ensure change of a legislative careerism in congress.

MT: What event in your life best prepared you for public office?

MS: My years of experience have prepared me well for this office. I developed extensive skills throughout my life that even in distressed situations make me able to handle finding solutions and making important decisions on issues that pertain to this office. I will bring my leadership abilities, creative strategies, patience and creative problem-solving to this position/office of the U.S. Senate.

MT: Who should be the next President of the United States?

MS: This is a personal question and one’s voting rights is private.

MT: Which person who previously held the office you’re seeking do you hold up as a model? Why?

MS: No one.

MT: What (if anything) should the U.S. Congress do to reduce gun violence?

MS: Congress should make laws stricter for those who are on a profiler list, mentally ill, people who have been convicted of gun violence or any type of violence and a danger to society should not be able to get a gun at any gun store’s.

MT: What (if anything) should the nation be doing (that it isn’t already doing) to alleviate climate change?

MS: We should introduce legislation to enforce the reduction of carbon pollution against all companies and if they don’t comply to correct the problem, we should impose a very heavy penalty against the company and fine them everyday that the corrections are not made.

MT: In Strieff v Utah, the U.S. Supreme Court just ruled that police can keep evidence seized from stops made without reasonable suspicion if police find an even minor arrest warrant on the person stopped. Do you support this? Why or why not?

MS: No, I do not support this ruling. The evidence has to be serious and the arrest warrant has to be a major one. The evidence and arrest warrant has to show gun violence, person is mentally ill or is a danger to society.

MT: Do you support full legalization of marijuana? Why or why not?

MS: Yes, I do support full legalization of marijuana, because it has many medical benefits to people who have cancer and other diseases that are helpful to these patients. Marijuana should be legalized, taxed and treated like alcohol products.